Troy Stevenson, the new chairman of gay
rights group Garden State Equality, has predicted marriage equality
will soon be legal in New Jersey, possibly as early as this year.
In speaking to CBS New York, Stevenson
said that a lot has happened since Republican Governor Chris Christie
vetoed a marriage equality bill approved by lawmakers last year.
“His response to Hurricane Sandy was
amazing, and he came out strongly advocating for the rights of the
citizens of New Jersey – all citizens of New Jersey,” Stevenson
said.
Stevenson replaced the group's founder
and long-time chairman Steven Goldstein earlier this month.
Goldstein left his post to take a job at Rutgers-Newark, where he has
been named associate chancellor for external relations.
Stevenson said his group was working to
override Christie's veto.
“We're going to be targeting specific
legislators and getting them to see what their constituents believe,”
he said.
Other efforts going on in the state to
extend marriage to gay and lesbian couples include a lawsuit, which
the group supports, and a proposal to put the issue up for a popular
vote.
(Related: New
Jersey's Stephen Sweeney says he won't put gay marriage on the
ballot.)